The government can comfortably take care of its workforce even with a better package than the proposed minimum wage being clamoured for years.
Carl Umegboro
After a long drawn battle with threats of fire and brimstones, the organised labour alongside private sector suspended its proposed mass actions over their demand for a N30,000 minimum wage as President Muhammadu Buhari received the report of the Tripartite Committee of the National Minimum Wage. Even if the Federal Government accepted the offer as assumed, it has to follow due process, particularly, legislative actions for it to become effective.
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Obviously, the Nigerian workers deserve improved package far above the existing N18, 000 benchmark. While the heat was temporarily put under control, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) grounded academic activities by strike action, all clamouring for one thing: workers welfare. To say the least, the proposed increment is justifiable. However, the issue is not the justification, but essentially the sustainability of the demands. The reason is simple. A lot of state governments still struggle to fulfill their obligation of paying their workforce the existing rate. The looming danger, therefore, if adequate preventative measure is not put in place, is sack of workers. Therefore, as the negotiations continue between the government, organised labour and private sector alongside the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the resources for implementing the new wage structure should also extensively be given a premium consideration.
It must be noted that labour unions in the country, over the years, have remained visibly weak and self-centred when it comes to general issues. Labour unions are never bothered about odd developments in the polity as their counterparts in other nations. For example, each of the 109 senators in the Senate merrily cruises home with outrageous N13.5 million monthly running-cost, separate from salaries and constituency projects annually budgeted at N200 million that are never accounted for since 1999. Ditto at the House of Representatives, with 360 members. Yet, the labour unions remained tight-lipped and unperturbed but continually clamour for commensurable welfare packages.
It is expected that by the acclaimed comradeship among labour unions, the first action point would be to fight against sundry aberrations that have been crippling the economy, especially the jumbo allowances federal lawmakers allocated to themselves. It cannot be a battle for the executive arm alone. Patriotically, labour unions, especially Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and host of others, shouldn’t only heat up the polity exclusively for their workers’ welfares but must doggedly fight for the nation, knowing that the executive may not utterly checkmate excesses in the legislative arm without fracas.
No doubt, workers have always been victims of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ in the system, and welfare is a desideratum. However, it is one thing to compellingly make demands and another to sustainably implement them accordingly. It, therefore, amounts to naivety for the organised labour to press for increment in salaries without first joining hands to recover wastes and leakages to fund the new regimen.
Until something remarkable is done to the bicameral legislature that Nigeria hurriedly copied from developed nations, wastages will continue at the detriment of economic progression and workers’ welfare. As a matter of fact, Nigeria at the moment has nothing to do with two arms in the legislature.
If the allowances lawmakers allotted to themselves could be reviewed and properly channeled to the appropriate quarters, the government can comfortably take care of its workforce even with a better package than the proposed minimum wage being clamoured for years. The bogus monthly allocations to the National Assembly can
go a long way in boosting allocations to state governments to meet up with whatever proposed increments. Otherwise, the labour unions may endlessly be signing agreements or remain on queues for mass actions over improved workers’ welfares.
The legislative arm has, for years, unquestionably become a major draining pipe to the economy and,
therefore, needs collaborative actions to overcome. This accounts for the overzealousness of lawmakers making the chamber their permanent abode. Some have taken the National Assembly as their birthright, thereby depriving the younger generation opportunity to participate and make meaningful contributions to governance. Yet, they ostentatiously considered and passed the ‘Not too young to run’ bill.
Obviously, labour unions should sit up; be patriotic and resourceful in the Nigerian project. To always turn deaf ears to abnormalities in the society at large but only strong, resolutely determined to fight for its members’ welfare is the height of egocentrism. As action groups, labour unions can competently fight for the welfare of the entire society knowing that good policies affect and improve the standard of living
of all citizens, workers inclusive. In other societies, labour unions remarkably serve as the voice of the voiceless, hence, let organised labour show concern in general issues in the society.
By democratic system, it is mostly through concerted and joint actions of stakeholders that some excesses in government could be checkmated, knowing that any forceful attempts from the executive will always lead to squabbles, irrespective of party affiliations. Labour can prioritise broad issues first in the society. That is patriotism. On this note, I will close with a quote from former United States President, Theodore Roosevelt: “A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled to, and less than that no man shall have. It is no use to preach to (children) if you do not act decently yourself.”
READ ALSO: Again, labour draws battle line
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• Umegboro is a public affairs analyst and an Associate, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (United Kingdom). 07057101974 SMS only